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Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., the 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee, said this week he now supports allowing gays and lesbians to adopt children, but continues to oppose marriage equality. Ryan may be trying to move slightly toward the center on an issue that is becoming more delicate for politicians eyeing presidential runs in 2016, according to this analysis.

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Advertisers are seemingly less afraid to feature gays and lesbians and their families in advertising for everything from technology to housewares. "For the gay consumer and their families and friends, and lots and lots and lots of Americans, they expect to see those couples appear everywhere, but they don't want them trotted out with a pride flag," said Bob Witeck, a
consultant on LGBT marketing for Fortune 500 companies.

President Barack Obama made an explicit appeal for gay rights in remarks Wednesday at
the United Nations. "[N]o country should deny people their rights because of who they love,
which is why we must stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere," Obama told
the leaders of U.N. member countries in a section of his speech about empowering the world's
citizens. "Never before has a sitting U.S. president spoken so clearly about LGBT rights in a
formal address to the full General Assembly," said Mark Bromley, chairman of the Council for Global
Equality.

This article, based on the results of a survey of 9,000 lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans conducted by an evangelical Christian pollster, looks at the important role faith and religion play in the lives of the majority of gays and lesbians. "Although there are clearly some substantial differences in the religious beliefs and practices of the straight and gay populations, there may be less of a spiritual gap between straights and gays than many Americans would assume," pollster George Barna said.

Norway has become the sixth country in world to grant equal marriage rights to same-sex couples. The new marriage law, approved by a vote of 84 to 41, also permits gay and lesbian couples to adopt children and allows lesbians to be artificially inseminated, according to this article.

Elizabeth Edwards, wife of presidential contender John Edwards, pledged her support for marriage rights in a speech Sunday at the the Alice B. Toklas Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Democratic Club in San Francisco that helped kick off the city's pride activities. Mrs. Edwards' position different from that of her husband, who supports civil unions -- but not marriage -- for same-sex couples. Read blogger John Aravosis' take on Edwards vs. Edwards here.